Eating on the road: Prix Fixe at Pincette - Bar à Homard in Montreal

My last trip to Montreal coincidentally aligned with their restaurant festival, Mtl a Table, where participating nicer restaurants offer a prix fixe menu to invite people to try them out that may not usually otherwise. This brought me to Pincette - Bar à Homard, which turned out to be just a few blocks away from my hotel on Old Montreal.

It did take me a bit to find because of confusing Google Maps directions, but eventually I made it inside and was seated at the bar. I was offered the regular menu but when advised I was here for the prix fixe, they brought that one. There was a choice of four appies, four mains and three deserts for $68.

I had already pre-scouted the menu, as is my habit, so I got my order in quickly and service was fairly quick at the bar.

I started with the Magdelan Island scallops, seared, vegetables, coconut milk, curry and clam juice. This was an $8 up charge to the prix fixe, but I couldn't resist the chance for some local scallops.

This was probably my favourite of the three dishes I had. The scallops were large, fresh and juicy, and the curry sauce and veggies wasn't a pairing I would have thought of on my own but it worked well and it was creamy and flavourful.

I stayed with local ingredients for my main, the Manicougan halibut, confit in olive oil, root vegetables, bisque and black mullet caviar.

I'm a big fan of halibut -- it's probably my go-to restaurant fish -- but I didn't like this execution. With the confit it was too dry and overcooked.  Halibut is better grilled, or breaded and fried. The sauce and veg were fine and the plating was attractive, but it couldn't rescue the lackluster fish.

Finally, for desert I kept it simple with the mango sorbet. It was delicious.

Overall, while this was an OK meal it was not my favourite of my visit and will not be on my list for a return visit when I'm next in Montreal. For the price I paid, I expect a properly cooked piece of fish.

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Eating on the road: Fish and Chips at Surfside in Comox

 I always say when you’re having fish, get as close to the ocean as possible. If you can dine outside and smell the salt air, even better.

Whenever I’m back home in the Comox Valley I always get fish and chips. Usually I’m back in the winter, but recently during a spring visit I was back in time for the opening for the season of Surfside, a fish and chip truck in the part next to the Comox Harbour.

They have an extensive menu, from traditional fish & chops to po’ boys, tacos and oysters. I’ll have to try a po’ boy on a future visit to see how they compare to New Orleans, but on my first visit I stuck to my standard: halibut and chips, sub onion rings for the chips. I also got a cup of chowder, which came with grilled garlic bread.

They cook it fresh, which was fine because I wasn’t early. It also gave me time to check their math, as even with tax it didn’t seem to add up. I wasn’t expecting it to be cheap, but this was a little crazy. Turns out they did get the math wrong by almost $10, which I got back when I asked them to run the numbers again. So do check their math, as that’s too much to let go.

Only other negative was Diet Pepsi instead of Diet Coke, but we can live with that.

I took my food to a picnic table in the park and dug in. The chowder was tasty and warmed the heart. The onion rings were thin and crunch, as I like them. Some places go too heavy on the batter; they did not. Slaw was slaw. Halibut was delicious, flaky, yummy. My favourite for fish and chips.

A good lunch on a nice day in the park with a breeze off the harbour, but not cheap and check their math.

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